Balance of Power
by Sereneffect
Summary: Commander Shepard is always in control and doesn't give that up easily. So what happens when someone takes it from her? Oneshot, rated for SMUT and language. FemShepxGarrus


**So I'm facing a little bit of a block on my main fic, "Void". So, here's some pointless smut with a little fluff at the end. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Vakarian!"

Garrus didn't look back as he stormed through the Crew Deck and the Cerberus crew gave him a wide berth as he passed. Fury rolled off him in waves and a low growl rumbled from deep in his chest. He could hear Shepard's steps behind him as she yelled at his retreating back but he didn't care. He couldn't listen to her right now. He was tired of being second in everything to her. He loved her, and yet there was always something between them: time, missions, rank.

"Officer Vakarian, you will look at me when I'm addressing you!" she shouted when they reached the battery. She'd cornered him in his one place of respite on the ship. Damn. Her green eyes burned and her fists shook at her sides. He could see the tension in her shoulders when he turned to face her and he was sure that his posture was similar.

"Why? Last I checked, we had nothing to talk about, _Commander_," he spat. He rarely used her title anymore—she hated it—but he just couldn't see her as his Shepard—his Jane—right then. His penetrating blue gaze met her piercing green one and they stared at each other angrily for a long minute before she finally spoke.

"I will not have you questioning my orders in front of the crew, and certainly not on missions," she ground out through gritted teeth. "Regardless of our relationship, I will not have you second-guessing me." His growl grew louder and dropped in pitch. She matched him with what he normally would have called her "adorably human" growl, but now it just stood to irk him. His eyes narrowed and she lifted her chin in a purely human, defiant gesture. He never understood that; why would they display the most vulnerable part of them in a show of dominance? His mandibles widened in a snarl and his brow lowered. Was that it? Nothing about the danger he'd pulled her out of, or the mistake they all knew she had made? Nothing about the distance she'd been putting between them for the past month of their relationship? His fury finally broke free and he grabbed her by her shoulders, spun, and slammed her against the wall. She glared at him through the fringe of her red hair, and he glared right back.

* * *

The Cerberus crew stared bewilderedly as the motley bunch that made up Shepard's ground team huddled closer to the Main Battery door. Miranda strode into the mess and set a hand on a perfectly rounded hip.

"What is going on here?"

"Mommy and Daddy are fighting and the kids don't like it," Jack sing-songed at her, ear pressed to the door. "The fuck… Is Vakarian _growling_ at her?"

"Standard in turian dominance displays. Though… tone not quite right." Mordin tapped his lip pensively. "Possible that Shepard's place of command has put strain on relationship, prompting display. However, subharmonics are more closely associated with mating display… Interesting."

"Yeah, really don't want to know, thanks Professor," the biotic grumbled, straining to hear. "Is Shepard growling too?"

"Perhaps we should leave them alone," Miranda pointed out tightly.

"Or… We can keep listening." The sound of something hitting the wall made Jack flinch back from the door and she cast a glance over the gathered group. Grunt chuckled darkly.

"Shepard will be putting him back in his place. She has no equal."

"Right… Well, everyone back to your stations!" Jack said quickly, stepping away from the door. Miranda gave her a knowing look and the biotic waved her off. She knew where this was headed and that was _not_ something she wanted to listen to.

* * *

He was tired of her avoiding him, tired of her rank standing between them, tired of the galaxy getting in the way. He towered over her, anger palpable as he stared at her. She was always in control, always in charge; her grip on control never wavered. And he was getting tired of it. Everything in his nature screamed against it and this… This was the last straw.

"And what, exactly, are you going to do about it, _Commander_?" he rumbled, body inches from hers. Never would he have considered this, of being so forceful with her, but for once—just once—he wanted to be in control of their relationship. Wanted their relationship to be on his terms, not hers.

She stared up at him and her anger had been replaced by… something. He could see her heart rate spike in his visor and her breathing came in light pants, drawing his eye to the way her chest rose and fell. Oh? Well then…

Shepard felt her heart speed up as she stared at him and damned her traitorous body. His talons tightened around her wrists and her breath caught. Oh, god. Her eyes widened slightly when he leaned close to her neck, breath ghosting over the sensitive flesh. She tugged against his grip, desperate to regain control of the wildly spiraling situation, but he pressed her arms harder against the wall.

"Well?"

She could feel the growl of his subharmonics vibrating through her body and shivered, eyes falling closed for a moment. Words escaped her and she scrambled to reply, shifting in his grip. Had he always been this… hulking? Intimidating? Sexy? Well, she knew the last one was true but…

"I'm waiting, _Commander_." His mandibles fluttered against her throat and a tiny gasp was his reward. He smirked now. "Or is that what you want? Someone to take control away from you?"

Her mind screamed _YES _but she forced a small shake of her head, hair falling into her eyes but doing nothing to hide the blush rising in her cheeks. She was always composed, always in control of her body, and yet here she was—pressed against the wall, panting and all but begging her turian boyfriend to touch her. She couldn't help the heat that pooled in her core and she bit down a moan. How could she feel this way when everything was out of her hands? She tried to pull free again but it was useless; he had leverage, size, and strength on his side.

"No? Why don't I believe you?" His teeth skimmed her jaw and a strangled whimper fell from her lips and she could feel his cocky smile. "No, I think you like this, Commander. For all the time you spend in power, you want someone to take it away." Now he nipped at her flesh openly and a desperate moan ripped from her throat and he chuckled. She thrust her hips forward, searching for some friction, but he stood just out of reach.

"Garrus, stop teasing." She was trying to sound commanding, she was, but it sounded like pleading and he heard it.

"No, Commander, I think you're done giving stupid orders today." He pressed their bodies flush together and ground into her roughly, their armor clanking together and she bit her lip to keep down another moan. He moved so he could hold both her wrists with one hand and moved the other to her chin, freeing her lip with his talon. "That's a bad habit, Shepard. Makes it very, _very_ hard to pay attention on missions, you biting your lip like that. Very distracting." His breath tickled her ear and she turned her face to look at him. The anger in her eyes had been replaced with unbridled lust and he felt his blood run hot.

"Then do something about it," she challenged breathlessly. Her last bit of control. His growl grew louder and he pressed her harder into the wall, talons brushing down her neck and over the surface of her arms to her hip and scratched into the scuffed surface.

"Don't tempt me," came his reply, voice low as his free hand fussed with the latches. Piece by piece it fell to the floor, their bodies only separating long enough to let them fall before crashing together again. Her mewls of desire spurred his hands as they strayed over the thin material of her undersuit, and his teeth grazed roughly over her neck and jaw. She reached for him with her lips but he always pulled out of her reach, drawing a frustrated groan from her throat. "You're not in command here, Shepard," he growled, slowly undoing his own armor. He felt her flex her wrists to do it, but tightened his grip. This was his show now. She would play his game. "I am." In one motion, his talons sliced her undersuit open and it pooled at her feet, leaving her bare to him. He could see the slightest twinge of fear in her eyes—he was a top tier predator, after all—but it was overpowered by desire and his subharmonics let out a purr. Carefully, he dragged his talons down her skin from her collar to the top of her thigh, avoiding all of the places she wanted him to touch, before trailing back up to her waist. A whimper escaped her and she writhed in his grip. "Problem?" He could smell her arousal and he could feel his own rise to match. Her lips parted and he could see her trying to catch her breath, color flushing from her cheeks down her neck, and he let his hand stray down to her core, brushing just outside of her folds. Something between a moan and cry of desperation pulled from her throat and the last of his self-control crumbled.

Shepard threw her head back and tried to rein in her desire. No. She was not going to fall apart like this under his control. But god damn if it wasn't the hottest thing he'd ever done. No, no, she was supposed to be angry; she wanted to be in control and he wasn't going to let her. She shifted her weight between her feet and he pressed back into her, drawing a surprised gasp from her. She could feel where his plates had parted and his very prominent erection pressed against her ultra-sensitive flesh.

"Shepard," he purred, licking the column of her throat and she moaned, rolling her hips against him. "You're so wet." His talons found her core again, tracing circles around her clit until she whimpered against his neck. Her blunt teeth grazed his skin, drawing a growl from him, and he buried one finger in her. She gasped and bit harder into his neck. "Spirits, you're so tight." He shifted the digit within her and she writhed against him.

"Please, Garrus," she begged, half-heartedly tugging against his grip. She'd given up on denying how hot this was, how much she wanted him to fuck her. Being out of control, having it taken from her so completely, she never would have thought that this was what she needed. "Please."

"Is that what you want, Shepard?" He drew the zipper of his undersuit down and stepped out of it as she pulled against him, leaning forward in an attempt to be close to his bare body. She shouldn't have been attracted to hard plates and sharp lines, shouldn't have loved the feel of his teeth against her skin, the danger of being with him. But she did. Adrenaline joined her arousal with every touch, just knowing how easily he could kill her, made her feel alive, made every feeling—every touch—more intense. She nodded frantically and he smirked, bringing his face level with hers. "Tell me." An exasperated moan escaped her as he pressed their bodies together again. "Say it."

"Please, ah. God, please fuck me, Garrus!" Her pupils had all but consumed the green of her eyes and he released her wrists, hoisting her up, and her legs wrapped around his narrow waist. He pressed her back against the wall and entered her in one graceful motion, making her cry out and wrap her arms tightly around his neck. He growled at the feel of her, so wet and tight around him, and buried his head at the crook of her neck.

"Spirits, Jane," he groaned, one hand settling under her ass and the other at the back of her neck. He pulled back slowly and thrust back in, making her cry out again.

"Oh god, Garrus." Her nails were short, but they found the spaces between his plates with ease, dragging along the leathery flesh up to his fringe and he growled against her neck. "Please." He latched onto her neck, nipping lightly as he picked up his pace. Every thrust drew a new sound of pleasure from her and each one pushed him to take her harder. Her legs squeezed around his waist and he felt his knees threaten to give, but pushed on and her cries rose in pitch and volume. If it occurred to either of them that someone would hear, they didn't care, his growls matching her moans with every thrust.

Shepard couldn't seem to keep her eyes open, sensation overwhelming her every time she tried. She could feel him moving within her and every thrust sent a burst of tingling pleasure through her entire body. His pace quickened and she knew she would bruise but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Look at me, Jane," he rumbled, and her eyes flew open, gaze locking with his. He punctuated each repetition of the command with a snapping thrust and her lips fell open, head thrashing to one side. He knotted his talons in her hair and turned her face back to his. "Come for me, Jane," he growled, brushing her ear with his tongue, and he felt her body tense. A scream of ecstasy echoed through the battery and he felt her most intimate muscles contract in the most delicious way, forcing him to bite down a roar as he pumped into her through her orgasm. Aftershocks pulsed through her and she moaned with each one until he reached his peak, emptying himself into her with a growl and she let out a contented sigh, sagging against him.

Carefully, he set her feet on the ground and pulled out of her, supporting her weight on his arms. Her eyelids fluttered as she panted to catch her breath and he carefully smoothed her hair down. She finally looked up at him and he ran a thumb over her cheek. All of the anger that had been burning between them—the frustration—was replaced with tenderness and he bumped his forehead against hers.

"No more stupid orders, ok?" he whispered, tracing her irresistibly human waist and she kissed his unscarred mandible.

"I make no promises, but I'll take your opinion into consideration," she replied between pants and he chuckled. The sound sent a ripple of delight through her and his subharmonics trilled contentment. "I'm sorry," she added quietly, nuzzling his neck and pressing her lips to the skin there.

"I forgive you, Jane," he purred, taking a step back from her. She made as if to close the distance again, but he held her at arms-length. "Although if I'd known this would… well, that this was what you wanted, then I would have done it sooner." His eyes sparkled and she blushed almost as red as her hair.

"Well, I, uh… I never…" she stammered, picking up her ruined undersuit. With a sigh, she pulled it on, holding the pieces in place as she buckled her armor back on. He grabbed her hands, stopping her, and she looked back to his face.

"Jane, you're allowed to let go sometimes."

She looked down at his chest and blinked a few times, turning her hands so their fingers knit together—her too many and his too few, but somehow it felt right—and he stared at their entwined fingers. "Am I? Everyone always looks to me for help, or orders, I can't just—"

He cut her off with a very sudden and very human kiss, tongue sneaking past her lips and she melted against his chest. "You can with me," he replied when they pulled apart, dual-toned voice thick, "Let me be there for you."

She smiled and leaned her forehead against his. "I love you, you ridiculous lizard."

He laughed and brushed her hair behind her ear. "And I love you too, you insufferable human."

* * *

**Good feelings everywhere!**


End file.
